INTRODUCTION

The Pune Gourmet Club, formed in September 2006, is India's most unique gathering of wine and food enthusiasts.

Since wine tasting in India has thus far been restricted to a select, ‘by-invitation only’ audience, the PGC decided to bring the gourmet concept out of rarified five star environments and make good food and wine more accessible to those eager to develop a palate for it.

Membership is based, not on deep pockets or high social standing, but on the degree of interest in good food and wine. We charge a nominal membership fee of Rs. 100 per annum and a refundable deposit of Rs. 1,000. All food and wine costs are shared equally by attendees.

If you think cooking is fun, have a passion for wines and are keen on sharpening your culinary & wine appreciation skills, the Pune Gourmet Club is for YOU.

Each meeting has a specific food theme paired with suitable wines. We’ve done Tapas, BBQ, Greek, Middle Eastern, European, Biryani, Cajun, Far & South East Asian, Kashmiri, Banarasi & South American. We’ve tasted nearly every wine made in India. We’ve even published a comprehensive Indian Wine Guide! We’ve had master winemakers such as M. P. Sharma of Vinsura and young winemakers such as Nitin Shinde and Girish Kamble attend our meetings and interact one to one with members.

Apart from professionally conducted wine tasting and food pairing sessions, the PGC is planning winery tours and gourmet banquets. In the past year membership has grown from an initial 12 to 200. The increasing number of membership requests indicates the growing awareness among people, more and more of whom are seeking to get familiar with the plethora of wines now available to them.

In Dec 2007, we organised India's first ever Wine Tasting Festival in Pune. An international style walk thru event with unlimited tastings of 50+ wines from top 10 Indian wineries, the festival attracted more than a thousand visitors, not just from Pune but from Mumbai, Thane and even New Delhi. For a detailed report, click here.